The first comic book was produced in 1933 in the United States and since then, the art form has been entertaining people of all ages over the world for decades.

Comic books are not necessarily comical. They feature sequential juxtaposed panels which represents different scenes in order to form a story, and cover a huge range of genres, from comical to horror; fantasy to history, the choice is extensive and is growing. Over the decades, many characters featured in comic books, and many became very popular and iconic all over the world. Since the 1930s, we have seen a range of super heroes and villains who we have grown to love. We have watched the evil fight for global supremacy and the good save the day on countless occasions. From a young age, we have watched men and women in silly costumes battle against evil, and we have loved every minute of it.

We all have our favourite comic book character, but some are more known than others. Here are our Top 5 greatest comic book characters of all time:

Superman

When you think of comic books, you think of Superman. He is a global icon who has appeared in the media for 80 consecutive years and is still as famous as ever. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, Superman quickly became a template for the modern superhero. His super strength, insane speed, heat vision, x-ray vision, ice breath and light abilities quickly made him a fan favourite once he rocked to earth from his dwindling planet, Krypton.

Superman is arguably the most iconic character in the comic book world, and even his S-shield is recognised worldwide. He quickly became a worldwide figure and it wasn’t long before he appeared in films, TV series, video games, the radio and a huge plethora of merchandise was produced.

Batman

Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and first appeared in 1939. Batman is just your average guy, a man who seeks to rid Gotham city of crime and corruption, as he was made an orphan when his parents were gunned down in front of him. Batman has no superpowers, however, with the help of his butler and his billionaire alter ego, Bruce Wayne, he fights crime using his wits, his cunning and his impeccable fitness, and with the help of his supercomputer located in his batcave.

Batman quickly rose to fame and is a fan favourite of many around the world. After appearances in a range of comics, films and TV series, it is safe to say Batman is a global icon.

Spider-Man

Spider Man first made an appearance in 1962. Created by Stan Lee, Spider Man quickly became the face of Marvel comics. Like most schools students, Peter Parker was facing money problems – girl problems, and family problems, until he was bitten by an irradiated spider. As with many superheroes, Spider Man is spurred on by the death of a family member, in this case it is the death of his uncle.

With his newly found spider-like abilities, Spider Man can be found swinging around New York City fighting crime with his super strength and amazing reflexes. Spider Man is loved by many and has appeared in a range of comics, movies, cartoons and animated TV series.

Wolverine

The Wolverine is another extremely popular superhero from Marvel. He first made an appearance in 1967 and quickly became a fan favourite. He can certainly be described as a conflict hero as he often resorted to the use of deadly force, when he wasn’t guzzling beer and eyeing up women. His ability to heal himself and his retractable claws have certainly made him a powerful character.

Wolverine appeared in many comics and quickly rose to fame when he became a member of the X-men.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is the most famous female superhero in the world. She quickly become an icon around the world and represented female empowerment, peace, and love. She is an inspirational character to many people of all ages as she is a true warrior that believes in truth and justice. As well as her super strength and ability to fly, she uses her lasso of truth to defeat her enemies.

She is based on the amazons, the female warriors of greek mythology, and was created as a metaphor for the modern day woman. She quickly became very popular as she was a breath of fresh air and something different from the male dominated comic book industry.

There are many iconic comic book characters which have been created in the past decades. These few are recognised worldwide and have kept millions of people entertained and will do so for many years to come.What’s your Top 5 comic book characters? Please let us know in the comments below.
______

This blog was written by Rachel Jensen on behalf of Kilogramme, the animation specialists.